Consumer Council warns after 1,432 appliance complaints
Bastillepost · 4 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Consumer Council said it receives about 2,000 complaints a year involving electrical appliances, and logged 1,432 cases in the first seven months of this year, about 200 more than the same period last year. Many disputes involved product quality, delivery delays, after-sales follow-up and cross-border purchases, while several recent cases also exposed online shopping scams and refund problems.
Key Points
- Three complainants in 2024 bought dehumidifiers or tumble dryers priced at HK$3,000 to HK$5,000 through an online price-comparison platform after a retailer advertised below-market prices and claimed to have a physical shop in San Po Kong.
- The buyers paid in full by online payment or bank transfer and received apparently formal invoices via messaging apps, but the seller repeatedly delayed delivery and then cut off contact when refunds were requested.
- Customs later found the claimed San Po Kong industrial-building shop had been repossessed by the landlord in 2020 over rent arrears, the messaging number had been suspended, and the platform had terminated the merchant’s account after many complaints.
- In that case, the company director was prosecuted and convicted under the Trade Descriptions Ordinance; one report said he was jailed for 10 days, suspended for 12 months.
- In separate disputes, a HK$4,200 refrigerator failed to cool because of a refrigerant leak and a HK$3,900 washing machine was not delivered as promised, with a post-dated refund cheque later bouncing before mediation secured refunds.
Why It Matters
The cases show how appliance purchases can quickly affect daily life when essential household items fail, are delayed or never arrive, especially when consumers pay in full upfront. The Consumer Council said merchants should clearly set out refund and exchange policies, while shoppers should verify a seller’s background, expected delivery time, installation arrangements and refund terms before committing payment.